Welcome to The Line. Two friends, Josh (Bill Hader) and Duffy (Joe Lo Truglio of Superbad) score the coveted first spots in line outside of a movie theater, 11 days prior to the world premiere of FutureSpace, the hottest sci-fi movie of the summer. Moments later, the heat is on, as they are thrown into a face-off with the ultimate fanboys: the Telepathic Triplets of Zybar.
The seven-episode series, created by Seth Meyers, Bill Hader and Simon Rich and produced by Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video launched this week over at Sony-owned Crackle.com. Written by Hader and Rich, the show is sponsored by Sony Pictures, which is prominently featuring actual movie posters for its upcoming Columbia Pictures releases (Step Brothers, Pineapple Express, and The House Bunny) on the wall behind the characters in line. Worth noting that Hader and Lo Truglio both also co-star in the upcoming comedy, Pineapple Express. This feels a little too convenient, though it seems like it was an easy sell to the marketing folks at Sony/Columbia.
“This integrated marketing opportunity with The Line feels like the most organic user experience that I’ve seen in a very long time,” said Dwight Caines, executive vice president of worldwide digital marketing strategy for Columbia TriStar Marketing Group. “It’s always exciting to see a completely unique approach to sponsorship and for me, it was an easy decision to get involved with these incredibly funny and talented guys. The project is so clever and will certainly resonate with our target audiences.”
The more than obvious product integration aside, the show is classic SNL caliber. Hader is a comedic gem and any chance to get him in a web series is worth taking. Lo Truglio has some web series roots, having written and directed an episode of the Webby Award-winning hit Wainy Days last year. Keep an eye out for guest appearances by Jason Sudeikis (SNL), Paul Scheer (30 Rock), and Liz Cackowski (Forgetting Sarah Marshall).
Episode 2 of the The Line just went up over at Crackle.com and it picks up right where the first one left off. This time, The Telepathic Triplets introduce a hardcore five-minute rule: leave the line for more than five minutes and lose your place.
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